The Northwestern Collaborative for Applied Research in Education (NCARE), a research-practice partnership that uses data to support students and teachers, is expanding its statewide reach through four new partnerships with Illinois school districts.
A new federal proposal to loosen rules governing Head Start, the nation’s early childhood education program, will gut the program rather than streamline it, Northwestern University professor Terri Sabol argued in a Chicago Tribune opinion piece.
Before professor Lin Xiang discovered the modeling program NetLogo, using tech teaching tools felt to her like visiting a state or national park. “We were restricted to established trails and selected viewpoints, with no way to explore the rest of the terrain,” she said.
An educator, scholar, and engineer, Victoria Concepción Chávez is passionate about accessibility, computer science education, and social justice.
Alejandra Frausto Aceves (PhD26) used hands-on, community-involved methods to study how diasporic families engage in sophisticated teaching and learning.
School of Education and Social Policy postdoctoral scholars Karla Thomas and briana rodríguez received 2026 National Academy of Education /Spencer Research Fellowships.
Peri Green, a learning sciences graduate student at the School of Education and Social Policy, received Northwestern's prestigious Presidential Fellowship for her work exploring how a child’s environment can create or reduce opportunities for learning.
The first-ever NetLogo user conference for both researchers and K-12 teachers runs June 29 to July 1 in Chicago at the University of Illinois at Chicago, bringing together the diverse communities of NetLogo users and agent-based modelers to share, learn, and make connections.
Northwestern University has launched a new center to improve and maintain NetLogo, a widely used scientific and educational software tool, and to promote literacy in scientific modeling.
When alumna Maddie Zimmer arrived in Evanston in 2020, Northwestern’s field hockey team hadn’t reached a Final Four in 26 years.
Fourteen new PhDs were honored and gifted regalia before the 2026 convocation celebration during the third annual doctoral robing ceremony at Northwestern University's School of Education and Social Policy.
From our highest-ever U.S. News & World Report ranking to the first graduates of two news master's programs, it was a breakthrough year at the School of Education and Social Policy.
Lea Kalkowski's senior honors thesis grew from her experience interning at a legal advocacy nonprofit. After helping more than 70 people through the process of expungement — clearing a criminal conviction from the record — Kalkowski wanted to dig deeper into the issues around implementing policy.
Is your career ‘AI-proof?’ If you’re asking the technology itself for the answer, it can depend on which model you use, according to a new study coauthored by economist Michelle Yin.
Shirin Vossoughi, associate professor of learning sciences at the School of Education and Social Policy, has been elected a fellow of the International Society of Learning Sciences for her work studying how and why people learn.
Northwestern's Tangible Interaction Design and Learning Laboratory hosted its second annual BitCrush showcase, where Evanston/Skokie School District 65 fifth graders presented music projects created with Python code.
Northwestern University School of Education and Social Policy graduate students Andrew Stein and Corey Winchester have received highly competitive NAEd/Spencer Dissertation Fellowships to support their research and career development.
New Northwestern University research suggests negative perceptions about block-based programming can be challenged.
The history of American schooling is tied to the forced removal of Indigenous peoples — and U.S. institutions must confront that legacy to build a fairer, more just future, School of Education and Social Policy Dean Bryan McKinley Jones Brayboy said during the American Educational Research Association (AERA) Distinguished Lecture, one of the signature events of the 2026 Annual Meeting.
Professor Mesmin Destin was named a senior fellow with the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, joining a national effort to bridge the gap between what young people need to thrive and what high school currently delivers.
Scholars from Northwestern University's School of Education and Social Policy will address Indigenous futures, AI justice, climate, democracy, and the ongoing effort to improve education at the 2026 American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting in Los Angeles.
Ozivell Ecford, a learning sciences graduate student at Northwestern University's School of Education and Social Policy, has been selected for the 2026 Edward Alexander Bouchet Graduate Honor Society, which recognizes outstanding scholarly achievement and excellence in doctoral education.
Mississippi spends less than half of what New Jersey does on education. Yet its fourth-graders perform better on standardized reading and math tests. Kirabo Jackson explains why.
Northwestern University professor Sally Nuamah has been selected as a 2026 Bellagio Center resident by the Rockefeller Foundation — a prestigious 26-day residency on the shores of Lake Como, Italy.
School of Education and Social Policy Dean Bryan McKinley Jones Brayboy has been selected to deliver the American Educational Research Association (AERA) Distinguished Lecture, one of the signature events of the 2026 Annual Meeting.
Juniper Shelley once thought the “cool” research happened in windowless STEM labs, not in the social sciences. But after joining Professor Sally Nuamah’s lab, she realized research can also mean getting out into the world, talking to people, and exploring challenging questions.
The National Network of Research-Practice Partnerships in Education highlighted the impact of a School of Education and Social Policy initiative as part of its annual look at the work of members.
Stories from 2025 that highlight our community, research, and faculty excellence.
After we take in information — whether true or not — it’s nearly impossible to avoid using it, Northwestern University psychologist David Rapp explained during the “Science of Reading: The Podcast.”
A new Spencer Foundation report calls for a fresh approach to graduate education to better prepares researchers to improve schools and communities.
The School Education and Social Policy will continue its longstanding partnership with The Baxter Foundation to strengthen science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education across the Chicagoland area.
A new Northwestern University study shows that students who write in multiple languages can challenge English-centered norms in higher education and highlight often overlooked ways of learning.
Northwestern University’s Jen Munson has received a five-year, $815,789 CAREER grant from the National Science Foundation to design spaces that make math as enjoyable as recreational reading.
Professor David Uttal received three research grants from the National Science Foundation to advance the science of spatial thinking—an essential yet often overlooked skill that underpins success STEM.
California has not rebounded to pre-pandemic life expectancy, based on early data obtained from the state, according to new research published in the medical journal JAMA Open.
High school teachers bond over shared political beliefs, according to a new study by Melanie Muskin, a PhD candidate in human development and social policy.
Northwestern University’s Katarzyna (Kasia) Pomian Bogdanov, who just received her doctorate in learning sciences from the School of Education and Social Policy, received a 2025 Jhumki Basu Scholar Award from the National Association for Research in Science Teaching.
Undergraduate researchers examined everything from consumer behavior and supports for dyslexic students to whether Hawai’i is truly a paradise as part of their senior thesis research projects.
Seniors Lillian Fu, Mia Xia, and Adrienne Scheide were honored for their research at Northwestern University’s Undergraduate Research & Arts Expo, which celebrates the accomplishments and discoveries of undergraduates through poster presentations and curated student panel talks.
SESP senior Binhao Wu’s research looking at social identity and perception won Top Oral Presentation at the Chicago Area Undergraduate Research Symposium, one of the largest annual undergraduate research conferences in the country.
The Indian town of Pithoragarh is nestled in the hills beneath the towering and picturesque Himalayas. Decades ago, Gautam Bisht’s grandmother moved away from this region to seek a better education and more opportunities for her family.
Northwestern undergraduates wrestled with complex challenges in early childhood education before presenting policy recommendations to the Mayor's Office.
Professor Cynthia Coburn was one of nine Northwestern University faculty members elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, one of the nation’s oldest and most prestigious honorary societies.
Faculty, alumni and and students will showcase their research at the 2025 American Educational Research Association’s meeting in Denver.
The current anti-DEI movement relies on a decades-old playbook that frames equity programs and policy as a threat to the excellence of colleges, according to new research co-authored by Northwestern University School of Education and Social Policy political scientist Quinn Mulroy.
Early exposure to civic education is essential to a functioning society, but it’s often taught too late in life or not at all, according to Matt Easterday, associate professor of learning sciences at Northwestern's School of Education and Social Policy.
Alumna Stefanie DeLuca (PhD02), a sociologist at Johns Hopkins University and one of the nation’s leading experts on housing mobility, vouchers, and policy will be joining Northwestern’s Institute for Policy Research as its inaugural visiting scholar in May 2025.
Five faculty members from Northwestern University’s School of Education and Social Policy were named to the 2025 RHSU Edu-Scholar Public Influence Rankings for their work bringing research out of academic journals and into everyday lives.
Psychological scientist Claudia Haase and undergraduate research assistant Angela Zhong, a member of Haase’s Lifespan Development Lab, were honored during a recent Fletcher Awards ceremony at Northwestern University.
Northwestern University professor Emma Adam emphasized the fundamental importance of inclusion and belonging for young people’s emotional well-being and long-term health in an interview with Susan Corwith, director of the School of Education and Social Policy’s Center for Talent Development.
The size of a brain structure involved in memory and learning may play a key role in developing depression during the transition to adolescence, according to new Northwestern University research looking at the interaction between the hippocampus and social environments.
Disillusioned American teachers use the social media platform TikTok to portray the profession as fundamentally unsustainable, according to a new case study by Melanie Muskin, a graduate student at Northwestern University’s School of Education and Social Policy.
Frequent, in-person tutoring sessions combined with the strategic use of technology can reduce costs and help overcome pandemic-related learning loss, according to new research co-authored by Northwestern University’s Jonathan Guryan.
Black women will be listening closely to speakers at the 2024 Democratic National Convention, says Northwestern University scholar Sally Nuamah, who has explored their role in American politics.
Graduate student Julia de Oliveira Callegari received a 2024- 2025 Northwestern Cognitive Science Advanced Research Fellowship to support her work looking at the interplay between identity, culture, and learning in children.
Seven new PhDs were gifted regalia and honored during a special robing ceremony prior to the 2024 convocation celebration as part of a new School of Education and Social Policy tradition.
Faculty members and alumni co-authored a new National Academies' report on equity in science education, reflecting the School’s leadership in the field of learning sciences and STEM education.
Lillian Fu and Eden Moore were honored for their research at Northwestern University’s Undergraduate Research & Arts Expo, which celebrates the accomplishments and discoveries of undergraduates through poster presentations and curated student panel talks.
More than 75 Northwestern University School of Education and Social Policy scholars and alumni are participating in the American Educational Research Association’s annual meeting in Philadelphia April 11 through 14, 2024.
Northwestern University political scientist Quinn Mulroy received The Graduate School’s 2024 Ver Steeg Award for her often behind-the-scenes work supporting graduate students throughout the University, whether she was assigned to formally mentor them or not.
Northwestern University’s Sepehr Vakil and alumnus Victor Lee (PhD08) of Stanford University have been named to a National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine consensus committee charged with looking at artificial intelligence and data science in K-12 education.
Student-run groups designed to foster a sense of belonging and solidarity among women in computer science may help boost female participation in the field, according to new Northwestern University research.
Black teachers are less likely to identify same race students as needing special education services, according to new research by Northwestern University alumni Cassandra Hart (PhD11) and Constance Lindsay (PhD10).
White Americans do not support permanent residence (or green cards) for Muslim immigrants – even if they’re white, according to new research coauthored by Northwestern University’s Tabitha Bonilla.
Donald Trump’s enduring appeal stems from the perception--his own and others’--that he is not a person, Northwestern University psychologist Dan P. McAdams wrote in New Lines Magazine. “In the minds of millions, Trump is more than a person,” he wrote. “And he is less than a person too."
Children who have difficult relationships with their peers show increases in symptoms of depression, anxiety, and attention deficit hyperactivity (ADHD) disorder as they head into adolescence, according to a new Northwestern University study.
Northwestern University’s Marcelo Worsley has been named a research fellow with the Jacobs Foundation to support his work helping students learn computer science through sports.
Northwestern University researchers received a five-year, $4.5 million dollar grant from the National Science Foundation to study racial equity, STEM education, and school reform in Evanston.
Scholars from the School of Education and Social Policy’s Center for Talent Development received the Mensa Foundation’s Award for Excellence in Research for a study looking at whether interventions designed to help underachieving gifted students actually work.
Five faculty members were named to the 2024 RHSU Edu-Scholar Public Influence Rankings for their work bringing research out of academic journals and into everyday lives.
Michelle Yin received a five-year $2.98 million grant from the US Department of Education and the Maine Division of Vocational Rehabilitation to help children with disabilities transition from high school to adult life, independent living, and successful careers.
Researchers are calling on lawmakers to give schools more time and money to implement and expand intensive tutoring, a strategy that could address the massive learning loss created by the global COVID-19 pandemic.
The Center for Talent Development (CTD) at Northwestern University’s School of Education and Social Policy was recently awarded a 5-year, $600,000 Jacob K. Javits Grant from the U.S. Department of Education.
Northwestern University alumni Claire Sampson (MS23) and Rose Taylor (MS22) are the latest School of Education and Social Policy recipients of a five-year fellowship from the Knowles Teacher Initiative.
Whether you’re taking a stance against a bad idea or suggesting a new, innovative one, it can be scary and risky to advocate for workplace changes contrary to the conventional wisdom, Ryan Smerek says in his new book. But if done right, there are significant rewards.
The residents of Evanston, Ill. have no shortage of ideas about how to spend a tidy $3 million sum in federal COVID-19 relief funds. Protected bike lanes? Affordable housing? What about revitalizing the downtown area, improving mental health services, or fixing sidewalks?
An influential White House report on the nation’s economic progress cites research by four Northwestern University School of Education and Social Policy faculty members in areas from early education and school funding to college readiness.
A new working paper by School of Education and Social Policy economist Kirabo Jackson found that granting more autonomy to high-quality principals and to principals of schools with atypical needs (like bilingual education or a population of students with special needs) increased student test scores, Mike McShane wrote in Forbes.
Young researchers who spent the summer pounding the pavement and collecting data about assets in their communities in Chicago, New York, and Rocky Mount (NC) will present their research during MAPSCorps’ 15th annual Scientific Symposium on Friday Aug. 4 at Malcolm X College in Chicago.
Researchers explored the meaning of childhood in a tech-infused world during the Association for Computer Machinery’s annual Interaction Design and Children (IDC) Conference at Northwestern University.
Educators, researchers, and curriculum providers gathered at Northwestern University’s School of Education and Social Policy (SESP) for a conference focused on K-12 mathematics instruction.
School-based group counseling programs can significantly reduce post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and depression among Black and Latina girls, according to new research co-authored SESP economist Jonathan Guryan.
Professor David Rapp and his students hold down an especially lively corner of psychology, one that requires them to mix it up with scholars, scientists, and journalists on a regular basis, Delia O’Hara wrote in a story for the American Psychological Association.
Northwestern University’s James Spillane received a $70,700 Spencer Foundation grant to study how other countries are rebuilding their education systems following the COVID-19 pandemic.
Women who have experienced sexual violence at fraternity parties have often been blamed for what happened to them. But new research on an elite college campus found that it’s becoming less common to fault the victim.
Three years after COVID was labeled a worldwide pandemic, experts are still assessing the impact on kids and debating whether closing schools was a good idea.
Whether the timing is intentional or serendipitous, hearing certain messages at critical moments can offer hope and keep people inspired to work towards their goals, Northwestern University’s Mesmin Destin said during a TEDxChicago talk at the Harris Theater.
A new report co-authored by Northwestern University professor James Spillane explores the benefits of building education systems that develop the “whole” child and use the same rigor and comprehensive care that a parent might invest in their own offspring.
A systematic planning tool called “change mapping” can help analyze whether complex diversity, equity, and inclusion programs or initiatives are working, according to new research by Northwestern University alumna Jue Wu (PhD21).
Working from home may have boosted fertility among college-educated women, according to a new National Bureau of Economic Research working paper co-authored by Northwestern University economist Hannes Schwandt.
Northwestern University researchers and their partners received a $7.5 million grant to develop an innovative research-based science curriculum for elementary school classrooms, supported by professional learning resources for teachers.
One size-fits-all metrics don’t fairly measure what matters most in many schools – a student’s mental health, Northwestern University sociologist Simone Ispa-Landa argues in a recent opinion piece in the Washington Post.
Northwestern University researchers, in partnership with Chicago Public Schools, the Office of the Mayor of Chicago, and the Chicago Department of Family Support and Services, are studying how the recent expansion of universal prekindergarten in Chicago will impact students from lower income backgrounds.
A team of graduate students is examining the impact of new guaranteed income program, a joint initiative between the University and the City of Evanston to address economic insecurity.
Alumna Erica Halverson’s new book “How the Arts Can Save Education” is, strangely enough, not about arts education. Instead, Halverson uses arts practices to fundamentally rethink how “learning” should be measured and to design learning environments and experiences that can serve all kids.
The Institute of Education Sciences (IES) should change its structures and policies to better meet changing priorities in education – including improving equity and the usefulness of research, according to a new report whose authors include several Northwestern University faculty members.
Northwestern alumna Erica Halverson (SoC97, PhD05), a leading thinker and researcher on arts education, will discuss the powerful way creative processes can revitalize schools at 4 p.m. on April 13 in Annenberg Hall’s first floor Cycle Center.
Hold back on the bickering. New research co-authored by Northwestern University's Claudia Haase, suggests that couples who share sweet moments filled with humor and affection, and sync up biologically — two hearts beating as one — enjoy better health prospects and live longer than their more quarrelsome counterparts.
Kavita Kapadia Matsko’s research looking at three different ways to consider new teacher readiness for the classroom received the Journal of Teacher Education’s 2022 Article of the Year.